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    Come Clean
    Come Clean
    Come Clean
    Ebook54 pages49 minutes

    Come Clean

    By Dawn Kimberly Johnson

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Peru Cabral, the youngest of five brothers, has just come out to his family. Lawson Todd has returned to his small hometown in disgrace after losing his corporate advertising job. When Peru and Lawson spot each other at the family Laundromat where Lawson works, the attraction between them is undeniable. But the fears, insecurities, and false fronts both men are hiding behind might doom the relationship before it begins—unless the brothers Cabral step in.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamspinner Press
    Release dateFeb 10, 2014
    ISBN9781627987639
    Come Clean

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      Book preview

      Come Clean - Dawn Kimberly Johnson

      Come Clean

      THE FLY landed near Lawson again and vanished before he could kill it… again. Too slow. He sighed and stared out the windows at the rainstorm currently threatening to wash away several pedestrians. He smiled, thinking that monsoon probably felt pretty good compared to the stifling, moist heat surrounding him at the moment. Then again, it was Florida and likely much the same temperature outside, so he’d be miserably hot and wet if he were out in it instead of stuck staring at row after row of washers and dryers.

      Even though he’d only been working at Todd Coin Laundry West for a month, he’d begun to hear the gentle hum of the machines in his sleep, but overall, managing the location wasn’t difficult for him. He’d done odd jobs there for three summers as a teenager.

      No, the hardest thing to handle was being downsized out of his corporate advertising job and returning to his hometown of Hiram to work for his father. Last hired, first fired. That was beyond difficult and damn near impossible to accept. His parents had worked and sacrificed to get him an education that would take him places, but here he was, right back where he’d started.

      The fly buzzed near his ear, and he swatted at it in exasperation. Lawson felt like he’d failed his parents, failed himself. He’d been so shiny and new and eager to impress Garrot Advertising with his innovative ideas and work ethic. And they were impressed, but that hadn’t protected him from the economy and the company falling on hard times.

      He dashed around the counter when he spotted a woman approaching the door. She struggled with two young children while weighted down by three bags of laundry. Beyond her, through the glass doors, he saw a man, apparently the guy who had dropped them off, pulling away in his lowrider. He’d sat in his car, watching her make her way, but hadn’t felt compelled to help. Nice.

      Lawson rolled a laundry basket along with him and rushed to open the door for her. The bell above them tinkled as he cheerily said, Here you go.

      She appeared surprised as she dropped the bags in the basket. "Uh… gracias."

      "De nada."

      The children immediately discovered the tiny table with coloring books and crayons he’d set up in the corner. When his father had stopped by last week to check on things, he’d appeared dubious about the change, but Lawson quickly reminded him that he’d been put in charge of this location, to do as you see fit. Therefore, coloring books and crayons for the kiddies it was. But the kids weren’t the only ones who needed distractions.

      After watching the clientele for the past four weeks, Lawson had subscribed to several magazines he thought his customers might enjoy reading while they waited on their clothes to complete their cycles: Better Homes and Gardens and Entertainment Weekly, as well as Newsweek and Scientific American. He was seriously considering adding Motor Trend and Muscle Machines for the local gearheads.

      He wandered over to check the soda and snack machines, but they were fine, no chips or candy bars in need of rescuing, trapped and suspended within a slowly whirling vortex of oblivion above the retrieval tray. He checked his watch. Only six more hours to go, and then he could shut down

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